IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0837903
(2004-05-03)
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등록번호 |
US-7331576
(2008-02-19)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Pelletier,Jo��l
- Zumbiehl,Sylvain
- Boisdon,Olivier
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출원인 / 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
1 인용 특허 :
24 |
초록
▼
A feeder device is provided, comprising a drive mechanism for driving a media unit in a feed direction, the media unit being provided from a stack of media units by a hopper including upstream and downstream hopper members. A directing member associated with the upstream hopper member engages the tr
A feeder device is provided, comprising a drive mechanism for driving a media unit in a feed direction, the media unit being provided from a stack of media units by a hopper including upstream and downstream hopper members. A directing member associated with the upstream hopper member engages the trailing edge of the media unit to direct the same to the drive mechanism, reduces an adhesive force between the media unit and remaining media units in the stack, and engages the trailing edge of one other media unit to direct the same toward the downstream hopper member and to partially support the weight of the remaining media units. A biased member urges the media unit against the drive mechanism, thereby increasing a driving force on the media unit, and prevents remaining media units from being fed to the receiving apparatus, also reducing the adhesive force. Associated methods are also provided.
대표청구항
▼
That which is claimed: 1. A media unit feeder device adapted to cooperate with a drive mechanism to drive an end media unit in a feed direction, the end media unit having a leading edge and a trailing edge with respect to the feed direction, said media unit feeder device comprising: a media unit ho
That which is claimed: 1. A media unit feeder device adapted to cooperate with a drive mechanism to drive an end media unit in a feed direction, the end media unit having a leading edge and a trailing edge with respect to the feed direction, said media unit feeder device comprising: a media unit hopper adapted to receive a stack of a plurality of media units and to provide the end media unit to the drive mechanism, said media unit hopper comprising: a hopper assembly disposed adjacent to the drive mechanism and having opposing upstream and downstream hopper members with respect to the feed direction; and a directing member operably engaged with the upstream hopper member, between the upstream hopper member and the drive mechanism, the directing member being configured to engage the trailing edge of the end media unit so as to direct the end media unit downstream, with respect to the stack, past the downstream hopper member and to the drive mechanism, the directing member thereby being adapted to reduce an adhesive force between the end media unit and media units remaining in the stack in the media unit hopper; a biased member disposed adjacent to the drive mechanism, downstream of the media unit hopper, and configured to urge the end media unit against the drive mechanism as the end media unit is fed past the biased member and downstream to a printing apparatus by the drive mechanism, the biased member thereby being adapted to increase a driving force on the end media unit by the drive mechanism; and a gate apparatus disposed adjacent to the drive mechanism downstream of the biased member, the gate apparatus being mounted separately from and being discretely operable with respect to the biased member, the gate apparatus having a flexible blade member operably engaged therewith, the blade member being configured to cooperate with the gate apparatus, separately and discretely of the biased member, so as to control a thickness of the media unit capable of being fed to the printing apparatus. 2. A media unit feeder device according to claim 1 wherein the media units in the stack have a weight associated therewith and the directing member is further configured to engage the trailing edge of at least one other media unit remaining in the stack so as to direct the at least one other media unit toward the downstream hopper member, such that the directing member and the downstream hopper member cooperate to at least partially support the weight of the media units remaining in the stack. 3. A media unit feeder device according to claim 1 wherein the biased member is further configured to prevent media units remaining in the stack from being fed to the printing apparatus while the end media unit is being driven by the drive mechanism, the biased member thereby being adapted to reduce an adhesive force between the end media unit and media units remaining in the stack in the media unit hopper. 4. A media unit feeder device according to claim 1 wherein the biased member is configured to extend between an upstream side and a downstream side, with respect to the feed direction, and includes an end surface extending therebetween and disposed adjacent to the drive mechanism, the end surface being configured to converge toward the drive mechanism as the end surface extends from the upstream side toward the downstream side of the biased member. 5. A media unit feeder device according to claim 4 wherein the biased member further includes an arcuate surface extending between the end surface and the downstream side of the biased member, the arcuate surface being proximally disposed with respect to the drive mechanism. 6. A media unit feeder device according to claim 4 wherein the end surface is further configured to extend from the upstream side toward the downstream side of the biased member according to at least one of a linear relation and an arcuate relation. 7. A media unit feeder device according to claim 4 wherein the end surface defines an angle of about 20 degrees with the drive mechanism. 8. A media unit feeder device according to claim 1 wherein the biased member is configured to be movable toward and away from the drive mechanism, and the media unit feeder device further comprises a biasing device operably engaged with the biased member so as to bias the biased member toward the drive mechanism. 9. A media unit feeder device according to claim 1 wherein the directing member is configured to extend downstream from the upstream hopper member so as to converge toward the drive mechanism. 10. A media unit feeder device according to claim 9 wherein the directing member is configured to extend downstream from the upstream hopper member according to at least one of a linear relation and an arcuate relation. 11. A media unit feeder device according to claim 1 wherein the downstream hopper member further comprises a guide member, the guide member being configured to cooperate with the directing member so as to direct the end media unit downstream with respect to the stack. 12. A method of feeding a media unit to a printing apparatus with a media unit feeder device, said method comprising: driving an end media unit in a feed direction with a drive mechanism, the end media unit having a leading edge and a trailing edge with respect to the feed direction, the end media unit being provided to the drive mechanism from a media unit hopper adapted to receive a stack of a plurality of media units, the media unit hopper having a hopper assembly disposed adjacent to the drive mechanism and having opposing upstream and downstream hopper members with respect to the feed direction; engaging the trailing edge of the end media unit with a directing member operably engaged with the upstream hopper member, between the upstream hopper member and the drive mechanism, so as to direct the end media unit downstream, with respect to the stack, past the downstream hopper member and to the drive mechanism so as to reduce an adhesive force between the end media unit and media units remaining in the stack in the media unit hopper and provide the end media unit to be driven by the drive mechanism; increasing a driving force on the end media unit by the drive mechanism with a biased member disposed adjacent to the drive mechanism, downstream of the media unit hopper, by urging the end media unit against the drive mechanism with the biased member as the end media unit is fed past the biased member and downstream to the printing apparatus by the drive mechanism; and controlling a thickness of the media unit capable of being fed to the printing apparatus with a gate apparatus having a flexible blade member operably engaged therewith separately and discretely of the biased member, the gate apparatus being disposed adjacent to the drive mechanism downstream of the biased member, and the gate apparatus being mounted separately from and being discretely operable with respect to the biased member. 13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the media units in the stack have a weight associated therewith and engaging the trailing edge of the end media unit further comprises engaging the trailing edge of at least one other media unit remaining in the stack with the directing member so as to direct the at least one other media unit toward the downstream hopper member, such that the directing member and the downstream hopper member cooperate to at least partially support the weight of the media units remaining in the stack. 14. A method according to claim 12 further comprising reducing an adhesive force between the end media unit and media units remaining in the stack in the media unit hopper by preventing media units remaining in the stack from being fed to the printing apparatus with the biased member while the end media unit is being driven by the drive mechanism. 15. A method according to claim 12 wherein the biased member is movable with respect to the drive mechanism and the method further comprises biasing the biased member toward the drive mechanism with a biasing device operably engaged with the biased member. 16. A method according to claim 12 further comprising directing the end media unit downstream with respect to the stack, with a guide member operably engaged with the downstream hopper member, in cooperation with the directing member.
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