EP0397477A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Feeding device
Assignee: Sharp Corp
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Filing: 1990-05-09
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-05-09
Abstract
Abstract A feeding device in accordance with the present invention comprises a lateral feed position sensor (HP1) for detecting that a rotatable cassette is placed in a lateral feed position, a longitudinal feed position sensor (HP2) for detecting that a rotatable cassette (32) is placed in a longitudinal feed position and a control device for controlling a cassette rotating motor based on the input coming from the lateral feed position sensor or the longitudinal feed position sensor, such that the longitudinal or lateral feed position of the rotatable cassette and the longitudinal or lateral feed position of a fixed cassette differ, whereby a situation where the rotatable cassette and the fixed cassette that contain copy paper sheets of the same size, are placed in the same longitudinal or lateral feed position, can be avoided and the time needed for feeding the required amount of copy paper sheets in the apparatus the feeding device is attached to, may be shortened. A feeding device in accordance with the present invention comprises in addition to the above arrangement, a rotation prohibition input device (52) for inputting to the control device an instruction prohibiting the rotation of the rotatable cassette, and is arranged such that the control device cancels the control to the cassette rotating motor in response to the input coming from the rotation prohibition input device. As a result, the time needed for feeding the required amount of copy paper sheets in the apparatus the feeding device is attached to may be shortened, and in addition for example when the rotatable cassette and the fixed cassette contain copy paper sheets of the same size and are placed in the same longitudinal or lateral feed position, a large amount of copy paper sheets can be supplied continuously when necessary.
Inventors
- 👤 Toshihisa Matsuo
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 12:13
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H1/00; B65H1/26; B65H1/266; B65H1/04; B65H3/00; B65H3/44; G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/65; G03G15/6502; G03G15/6508; G03G2215/00; G03G2215/00362; G03G2215/00367; G03G2215/00379; G03G2215/00383; G03G2215/00388; G03G2215/00535; G03G2215/00556
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
134 words
A feeding device comprising: at least one movable copy material orientation changing means capable of setting copy material to at least two feed positions, at least one fixed holding member whose feed position is fixed and is one of said feed positions, position detecting means for detecting the feed position of said copy material orientation changing means, driving means for moving said copy material orientation changing means, and control means for controlling said driving means in response to the input from said position detecting means, such that when the copy material stored in said fixed holding means and the copy material stored in said copy material orientation changing means are of the same size, the feed position of said copy material orientation changing means and the feed direction of said fixed holding means differ.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
134 words
A feeding device comprising: at least one movable copy material orientation changing means capable of setting copy material to at least two feed positions, at least one fixed holding member whose feed position is fixed and is one of said feed positions, position detecting means for detecting the feed position of said copy material orientation changing means, driving means for moving said copy material orientation changing means, and control means for controlling said driving means in response to the input from said position detecting means, such that when the copy material stored in said fixed holding means and the copy material stored in said copy material orientation changing means are of the same size, the feed position of said copy material orientation changing means and the feed direction of said fixed holding means differ.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
A feeding device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a motion prohibition input means for inputting to said control means an instruction prohibiting the motion of said copy material orientation changing means, and arranged such that said control means cancels the control to said driving means in response to the input from said motion prohibition input means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
235 words
A feeding device comprising: at least one movable copy material orientation changing means capable of setting copy material to a longitudinal feed position for feeding said copy material longitudinally, or to a lateral feed position for feeding said copy material laterally, at least one fixed holding member which feed position is fixed and is one of said longitudinal and lateral feed positions, driving means for moving said copy material orientation changing means, lateral feed position detecting means for detecting that said copy material orientation changing means is placed in said lateral feed position, longitudinal feed position detecting means for detecting that said copy material orientation changing means is placed in said longitudinal feed position, and control means wherein data concerning the size of the copy material stored in said copy material orientation changing means, the size of the copy material stored in said fixed holding member, and the longitudinal or lateral feed position of said fixed holding member, is entered, and for controlling said driving means in response to the input coming from said longitudinal feed position detecting means or said lateral feed position detecting means, such that when copy material of the same size is stored in said fixed holding member and said copy material orientation changing means, the longitudinal or lateral feed position of said fixed holding member and the longitudinal or lateral feed position of said copy material orientation changing means differ.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
235 words
A feeding device comprising: at least one movable copy material orientation changing means capable of setting copy material to a longitudinal feed position for feeding said copy material longitudinally, or to a lateral feed position for feeding said copy material laterally, at least one fixed holding member which feed position is fixed and is one of said longitudinal and lateral feed positions, driving means for moving said copy material orientation changing means, lateral feed position detecting means for detecting that said copy material orientation changing means is placed in said lateral feed position, longitudinal feed position detecting means for detecting that said copy material orientation changing means is placed in said longitudinal feed position, and control means wherein data concerning the size of the copy material stored in said copy material orientation changing means, the size of the copy material stored in said fixed holding member, and the longitudinal or lateral feed position of said fixed holding member, is entered, and for controlling said driving means in response to the input coming from said longitudinal feed position detecting means or said lateral feed position detecting means, such that when copy material of the same size is stored in said fixed holding member and said copy material orientation changing means, the longitudinal or lateral feed position of said fixed holding member and the longitudinal or lateral feed position of said copy material orientation changing means differ.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
58 words
A feeding device as described in claim 3 further comprising a motion prohibition input means for inputting to said control means an instruction prohibiting the motion of the copy material orientation changing means, and arranged such that said control means cancels the control to said driving means in response to the input from said motion prohibition input means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
81 words
A feeding device as defined in claim 1 to claim 4, wherein said copy material orientation changing means comprises a guiding member mounted and projecting in the central portion of the outer face of said copy material orientation changing means, is a rotatable cassette capable of pivoting by substantially 90° about said guiding member as central axis, is housed in a housing member and is detachable with respect to the main body of the apparatus said feeding device is attached to.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
A feeding device as defined in claim 1 to claim 4, wherein said fixed holding member is a fixed cassette detachable with respect to the main body of the apparatus said feeding device is attached to.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
A feeding device as defined in claims 3 and 4, wherein said driving means is a solenoid or an air piston.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
A feeding device as defined in claim 1 to claim 4, wherein said copy material is copy paper for use in a copying machine or a laser printer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A feeding device as defined in claim 1 to claim 4, wherein said copy material is a film for use in an over-head projector.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
A feeding device as defined in claim 5, wherein said housing member comprises a supporting member that separates said copy material orientation changing means and the bottom of said housing member.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
A feeding device as defined in claim 10, wherein said driving means is a motor capable of rotating clockwise and counterclockwise.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
39 words
A feeding device as defined in claim 11, wherein said supporting member comprises a guide hole in a long hole shape in its central portion, and said guiding member rotates and moves back and forth inside said guide hole.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
47 words
A feeding device as defined in claim 12, wherein: said motor comprises a rotation shaft whereto a threaded shaft is connected, and a nut is fitted on said threaded shaft and moves back and forth in the shaft direction according to the rotation of said threaded shaft.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
51 words
A feeding device as defined in claim 13, wherein said nut comprises an upper and a lower edge, said upper edge of said nut is pivotally connected to a corner of said copy material orientation changing means, and a light interrupting member is installed on the lower edge of said nut.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
A feeding device as defined in claim 14, wherein said position detecting means are photointerruptors that include a light emitting element and a light receiving element.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
A feeding device as defined in claim 1 to claim 4, wherein said position detecting means are magnetic sensors or contact type switches.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
113 words
A feeding device as defined in claim 1 to claim 4, wherein said control means comprises: a main processing unit for determining whether the copy material stored in said copy material orientation changing means, and the copy material stored in said fixed holding member are of the same size, and if they are the same of size for releasing an instruction to move said copy material orientation changing means, and a sub-processing unit for moving said copy material orientation changing means in response to the output of said main processing unit, so that the feed position of said copy material orientation changing means and the feed position of said fixed holding member differ.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
33 words
A feeding device as defined in claim 17, wherein said main processing unit and said sub-processing unit transmit to each other the information necessary to the control through a plurality of communication channels.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
81 words
A feeding device as defined in claim 1 to claim 4, wherein said fixed holding member comprises a projecting member mounted in a position in accordance with the size of the copy material stored in said fixed holding member, and arranged such that when said fixed holding member is installed in the main body of the apparatus said feeding device is attached to, the size of the copy material stored therein is found out through the action of said projecting member.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
95 words
A method for moving a copy material orientation changing means installed in a feeding device comprising the steps of: determining whether or not the copy material stored in a copy material orientation changing means and the copy material stored in a fixed holding member are of the same size, and if they are of the same size, releasing an instruction to move said copy material orientation changing means, and moving said copy material orientation changing means to the feed position in accordance with the instruction ordering the motion of said copy material orientation changing means.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
95 words
A method for moving a copy material orientation changing means installed in a feeding device comprising the steps of: determining whether or not the copy material stored in a copy material orientation changing means and the copy material stored in a fixed holding member are of the same size, and if they are of the same size, releasing an instruction to move said copy material orientation changing means, and moving said copy material orientation changing means to the feed position in accordance with the instruction ordering the motion of said copy material orientation changing means.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
68 words
A method as defined in claim 20, wherein said step of moving said copy material orientation changing means includes moving said copy material orientation changing means until longitudinal feed position detecting means turns ON, when lateral feed position detecting means is ON, and moving said copy material orientation changing means until said lateral feed position detecting means turns ON, when said longitudinal feed position detecting means is ON.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as defined in claim 20, wherein the motion of said copy material orientation changing means is not executed when an instruction prohibiting the motion of said copy material orientation changing means is entered through motion prohibition input means.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as defined in claim 21, wherein the occurrence of trouble is displayed when said lateral feed position detecting means and said longitudinal feed position detecting means are both OFF.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
142 words
A sheet feeding device comprising first (25, 28, 29) and second (26, 27) sheet storage means each adapted to hold a stack of sheets to be fed towards an image recording device (7 to 14), the first storage means (25, 28, 29) providing a fixed relative orientation between its sheet stack and the direction of sheet feed therefrom, and the second storage means (26, 27) providing a selectively changeable relative orientation between its sheet stack and the direction of sheet feed therefrom, means (HP₁, HP₂) being provided for determining the current relative orientation provided by said second storage means, characterised by control means (51, 64) which is operable to respond to a detected correspondence between the sheet size and relative orientation of said first and second sheet storage means so as to change said relative orientation of said second sheet storage means.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
142 words
A sheet feeding device comprising first (25, 28, 29) and second (26, 27) sheet storage means each adapted to hold a stack of sheets to be fed towards an image recording device (7 to 14), the first storage means (25, 28, 29) providing a fixed relative orientation between its sheet stack and the direction of sheet feed therefrom, and the second storage means (26, 27) providing a selectively changeable relative orientation between its sheet stack and the direction of sheet feed therefrom, means (HP₁, HP₂) being provided for determining the current relative orientation provided by said second storage means, characterised by control means (51, 64) which is operable to respond to a detected correspondence between the sheet size and relative orientation of said first and second sheet storage means so as to change said relative orientation of said second sheet storage means.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
37 words
Sheet feed device in which the sheet orientation (longitudinal/latitudinal) relative to sheet feed direction is changeable in one cassette to provide a different said orientation than that of another fixed orientation cassette holding the same sized sheets.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
37 words
Sheet feed device in which the sheet orientation (longitudinal/latitudinal) relative to sheet feed direction is changeable in one cassette to provide a different said orientation than that of another fixed orientation cassette holding the same sized sheets.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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